Warning out on fake P500 bills as Comelec cautions voters on vote-selling
A stern warning has been issued to the public, voting public in particular, on the proliferation of fake P500 bills as news got out of an Army operation that got a man arrested in Lambunao for possession of the bogus bills.
Said to be printed in Cebu City, the fake P500s, intelligence sources told The News Today (TNT) are believed to be part of a "shipment" with the rest already distributed throughout the province.
In Southern Iloilo, government agents are pursuing leads in Tigbauan and Miag-ao as similar verification were made overnight in the Second District, Fourth District and Fifth District towns.
Provincial Director Elizabeth Doronila has repeatedly issued a public warning reminding the holders of the fake bills alongside those caught to be selling their votes of sure prosecution.
"It is a prohibited act and anybody who buys or sells votes is considered a criminal," she added.
Complaints have since reached the Commission of massive vote-buying underway in Iloilo towns reason why Doronila advises such to be made to the proper forum. Go to the concerned Comelec office, she said, where the vote-buying and selling supposedly took place. Local police are deputized by the Commission to act accordingly on said cases.
Radio stations were bombarded with text messages over the weekend on the reported distribution of sample ballots with money inside. In the city, price ranged from P150 up to P1,000 in the province.